Home ›› 12 Dec 2022 ›› Governance
Twelve private universities are likely to face a ban on enrolling new students for their failure to transfer the entire education programmes to their permanent campuses by the deadline.
The University Grants Commission is going to take such action as the 12 private universities missed many deadlines to move to their own campuses.
UGC Member (Private University) Prof Dr Biswajit Chanda told The Business Post, “Enrolment of students at the universities who failed to shift their entire educational programme to permanent campuses by December 31, will be suspended.”
“The private universities are taking time for years showing different excuses. So, we will not extend the deadline further. But we may consider a few universities which will take two to three months to move to the permanent campus,” he said.
According to UGC sources, the commission in April finally sent a letter to 22 private universities giving the final ultimatum to move to their own campus by December 31 and also warning them of stopping new student admission if fail to do so.
Ten out of the 22 universities shifted their activities to their own campus by the time and the remaining 12 failed to do it till now.
The 12 private universities are – The People’s university of Bangladesh, Manarat International University, Brac University, State University of Bangladesh, Green University of Bangladesh, Presidency University, Victoria University of Bangladesh, Prime Asia University, Asa University Bangladesh, The Millennium University, the University of Development Alternative and Stamford University Bangladesh.
UGC sources said State university sought time till 2024 to shift campus, Brac University informed UGC that they cannot install lift services at the new campus as their shifting is being delayed, Presidency University sought time till 2025, Asa university sought time 2026, Stamford University sought 2025 and University of Development alternative sought time till 2026, Millennium University said they did not resolve problems over university land, People’s university is also facing land related problem at their own campus in Narsingdi.
Manarat, Victoria University and Green University did not update the UGC till now but it was found during the investigation that there is no progress to shift the three university campuses to their own land within the deadline.
Meanwhile, the 10 universities shifted their all activities to their own campus within the deadline – are Royal University of Dhaka, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Uttara University, Dhaka International University, Bangladesh University, Southeast University, Daffodil International University, Northern University Bangladesh, Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology, and the University Of South Asia.
The government has approved 109 private universities since the start of higher education at the private level in the country in 1992.
According to the Private University Act, of 2010, a private university is given temporary permission to run its academic activities. Within seven years after getting temporary approval along with a five-year grace period, the university should have its permanent campus and meet other conditions to carry on academic and administrative activities.
However, even after 12 years, the UGC can take a tough decision like stopping the admission of students as the universities have not moved to permanent campuses.
Since the establishment of the universities, the 12 years period was passed by 55 out of 109 private universities have. Of them, 43 including the new 10 universities have shifted to their own campus but the rest of the 12 universities failed to shift.
UGC officials said the 12 universities missed many deadlines but they did not shift to their own campus. So now the commission does not want to give time to all the universities.
